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BEGINS IN: ST. GEORGE, UTAH

Staircase to the Past: Utah’s Grand Circle of Parks and Monuments and Picturesque Antelope Canyon

Elevation NoteThe highest elevation at about 9,000 feet. We will walk various trails and go to view points.

Equipment RequirementsWe suggest you bring a day pack that you can put on your back or around your waist to carry your water bottle and other items. Walking shoes with good tread for the daily hiking field study.

Itinerary for Apr 25 — May 5, 2013

Description: The College Inn is located in the heart of the historic district in St. George, six blocks from Dixie State College campus. The historic district offers restored pioneer homes and buildings. This facility is used specifically for Road Scholar and other educational groups it is not used as housing for college students. St. George has beautiful red rock cliff and lava rock mesa as back drop with larger mountains and rock formations that can be seen in the distance and all can be viewed from the Inn. A lounge area with couches, DirecTV, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment. The rooms do not have phones or televisions, but a public phone is available at the front desk.
Please be aware that we have accommodations on both the first floor and second floor levels. There is no elevator to the second floor. We will make every effort to accommodate you on the first floor, but if you cannot handle second floor accommodations we need to know prior to your arrival. Please indicate that in the appropriate area on the information form also.

Facility amenities: A lounge area with couches, DirecTV in lounge, free WiFi wireless Internet, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Additional nights before: $35If you want to arrive early or stay over following the program you can arrange to stay with us for $35 per room per night. Please call (435) 634-2050 to make a reservation.

Description: The College Inn is located in the heart of the historic district in St. George, six blocks from Dixie State College campus. The historic district offers restored pioneer homes and buildings. This facility is used specifically for Road Scholar and other educational groups it is not used as housing for college students. St. George has beautiful red rock cliff and lava rock mesa as back drop with larger mountains and rock formations that can be seen in the distance and all can be viewed from the Inn. A lounge area with couches, DirecTV, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment. The rooms do not have phones or televisions, but a public phone is available at the front desk.
Please be aware that we have accommodations on both the first floor and second floor levels. There is no elevator to the second floor. We will make every effort to accommodate you on the first floor, but if you cannot handle second floor accommodations we need to know prior to your arrival. Please indicate that in the appropriate area on the information form also.

Facility amenities: A lounge area with couches, DirecTV in lounge, free WiFi wireless Internet, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Additional nights before: $35If you want to arrive early or stay over following the program you can arrange to stay with us for $35 per room per night. Please call (435) 634-2050 to make a reservation.

Morning: Geology class and field trip to Snow Canyon State Park for a welcome walk and introduction to area geology. Walk with instructor on the nature trails among the red sandstone formations. At Snow Canyon State Park you can explore the natural beauty with scenery of red rock cliffs, rolling mounds of petrified sand dunes and lava (basalt) rock formations. Enjoy the scenery while you are learning.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Welcome to St. George with Dr. Alder. He'll share area history and take you to restored pioneer buildings and homes.

Description: Ruby's Inn is the closest accommodation to Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah and is the perfect base for your exploration of scenic Southern Utah. We offer the finest Accommodations, RV Park/Campground and amenities in the Bryce Canyon National Park region. Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon is a destination in and of itself and is the perfect base for area exploration. We offer the finest accommodations and amenities in the Bryce Canyon National Park region. Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon has been serving travelers since 1916 and is a destination in and of itself.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Three: Saturday, April 27 - Zion National Park/Geology Class

Breakfast: 7:00 - 8:00
Breakfast

Morning: Check-out
8:15 Depart
Travel to Zion National Park. Geology instructor and group leader go with you as you walk among the rock canyons and formations. Incredible scenery of red rock cliffs, raparian areas and more. Enjoy the beauty while you are learning.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Continue walking and exploring Zion Canyon with our geology instructor. Travel to the east side of Zion through the tunnels, view Checkerboard Mesa and continue to Bryce. (Travel time from Zion to Bryce is about 1 hour 15 minutes.)
Arrive Bryce, get checked into hotel and relax a little before dinner.

Dinner: Enjoy dinner.

Evening: Geology class about Bryce in the hotel meeting room and then have a relaxing evening! Lots of things to do! You can sit in the hot tub, swim in the pool, browse the shops and more!

Description: Lodging is near the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust known as a monocline, extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to the Colorado River (now Lake Powell) and just minutes from Capitol Reef National Park. The Park was established to protect this grand and colorful geologic feature, as well as the unique historical and cultural history found in the area. This is the perfect location for easy access to the hiking trails. Where you will explore the multi-colored cliffs common to Capitol Reef National Park and this region. They inspired the Indians who once lived here to name it the Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.
Located in Wayne County Utah, USA, it is comprised of 97% public lands with a wide range of scenic attractions: Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, two national forests and nearby Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah's only All American Road (Highway 12) three scenic byways, three scenic backways and numerous historic sites. All of this beckons your exploration and offers unique experience with each visit!

Morning: Get out and explore the unique formations Bryce is famous for! Hoo doos, hoo doos and more hoo doos, every where you look there are pinnacles, peaks and spires of unique and whimsical shapes and forms. Walk the trails and enjoy trailside talks with instructor as we go.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Continue hiking among the hoodoos and formations along the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop Trail. Travel scenic hiqhway 12 through a portion of the Grand Staircase to Anasazi State Park (Arrive about 3:30) View native American Ruins. Learn about the area human history.

Dinner: Enjoy a delicious dinner at a restaurant in Boulder.

Evening: Travel hwy 12 to Capitol Reef area and check into the hotel. Hwy 12 offers incredible scenery and it has been said that this route contains the most interesting and greatest concentration of diverse geology in the world.
Arrive at the Capitol Reef Area and get settled into you hotel room.

Description: Lodging is near the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust known as a monocline, extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to the Colorado River (now Lake Powell) and just minutes from Capitol Reef National Park. The Park was established to protect this grand and colorful geologic feature, as well as the unique historical and cultural history found in the area. This is the perfect location for easy access to the hiking trails. Where you will explore the multi-colored cliffs common to Capitol Reef National Park and this region. They inspired the Indians who once lived here to name it the Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.
Located in Wayne County Utah, USA, it is comprised of 97% public lands with a wide range of scenic attractions: Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, two national forests and nearby Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah's only All American Road (Highway 12) three scenic byways, three scenic backways and numerous historic sites. All of this beckons your exploration and offers unique experience with each visit!

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Five: Monday, April 29 - Capitol Reef National Park

Breakfast: 7:00 - 8:00

Morning: Depart and travel to Capitol Reef National Park for geology field trip and walks.
A bold river flowing through a towering canyon, huge white domes topped by a brilliant blue sky, green beauty in a vast desert, seemingly mysterious formations carved by whimsical forces - all this is Capitol Reef! Enjoy discovering with the geologist the unique beauty of this park.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Continue exploring the Park. More hikes/walks to see the natural beauty, petroglyphs, cultural and human history of the area.

Description: Moab is a hub for outdoor recreation and offers easy access to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The scenic beauty surrounds Moab and the motel. This hotel offers exquisite lodge style ambiance and comfort and it just 1/2 block off Main Street. Main street offers unique shops and restaurants.

Morning: Depart and travel through Capitol Reef. Arrive at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River. This is a wonderful museum that captures the spirit of this great and determined explorer. This is a fitting introduction as we approach the Colorado River area that he first mapped and explored in such an exciting and adventurous fashion. Imagine venturing into the unknown and traveling down the mighty Colorado River on boats unsure of what is around the next bend or if you are headed for great rapids or large waterfalls that would leave you plunging to your death. The names of places and the initial geologic mapping of the areas we travel were created by John Wesley Powell, his traveling companions and their explorations.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Travel to Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park a variety of unusual rock formations along with seeing deeply eroded canyons interspersed with sheer-sided mesas. You can see nearly 100 miles in any direction and the Colorado River below. Travel and check into the hotel in Moab.

Description: Moab is a hub for outdoor recreation and offers easy access to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The scenic beauty surrounds Moab and the motel. This hotel offers exquisite lodge style ambiance and comfort and it just 1/2 block off Main Street. Main street offers unique shops and restaurants.

Description: The Best Western at Lake Powell is your ideal lodging choice in the Page-Lake Powell area. The hotel is located just minutes from beautiful Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona. The Best Western at Lake Powell offers the convenience of a central location in the heart of Page surrounded by shops, galleries, museums, and restaurants.

Smoking policy: YesSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Eight: Thursday, May 02 - Edge of the Cedars Museum/Monument Valley

Breakfast: 7:00 - 8:00

Morning: Check out of hotel.
Travel to Blanding and Edge of the Cedars Museum. This is ranked one of the best museums in the Southwest. Enjoy a docent-led presentation and some time to browse and learn on your own about the Native American history with artifacts, pottery and ruins.
Continue on to Monument Valley.

Afternoon: Enjoy the Monument Valley Visitor Center.
Continue to Lake Powell in Page, AZ.
Upon arrival we'll visit a traditional Navajo Village with presentations by members of the Navajo tribe. We'll learn about the Navajo culture through presentations, stories, and dance.

Description: The Best Western at Lake Powell is your ideal lodging choice in the Page-Lake Powell area. The hotel is located just minutes from beautiful Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona. The Best Western at Lake Powell offers the convenience of a central location in the heart of Page surrounded by shops, galleries, museums, and restaurants.

Morning: Anchors away, as we cruise to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, one of the Natural Wonders of the World! Cruise aboard a large boat with professional captain, an enclosed lower level with seating and large windows, bathrooms and an upper open air level with seating and areas to stand and enjoy the scenery.

Description: The College Inn is located in the heart of the historic district in St. George, six blocks from Dixie State College campus. The historic district offers restored pioneer homes and buildings. This facility is used specifically for Road Scholar and other educational groups it is not used as housing for college students. St. George has beautiful red rock cliff and lava rock mesa as back drop with larger mountains and rock formations that can be seen in the distance and all can be viewed from the Inn. A lounge area with couches, DirecTV, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment. The rooms do not have phones or televisions, but a public phone is available at the front desk.
Please be aware that we have accommodations on both the first floor and second floor levels. There is no elevator to the second floor. We will make every effort to accommodate you on the first floor, but if you cannot handle second floor accommodations we need to know prior to your arrival. Please indicate that in the appropriate area on the information form also.

Facility amenities: A lounge area with couches, DirecTV in lounge, free WiFi wireless Internet, a refrigerator, soda pop machine and microwave are available for your use. We also have a beautiful heated pool and hot tub for your enjoyment.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Additional nights before: $35If you want to arrive early or stay over following the program you can arrange to stay with us for $35 per room per night. Please call (435) 634-2050 to make a reservation.

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Ten: Saturday, May 04 - Antelope Slot Canyon

Breakfast: 8:30 - 9:30

Morning: The highlight today is exploring the most photographed slot canyon in the Southwest US! Travel to Antelope Slot Canyon and go on a guided exploration of Upper Antelope Canyon. Walk through this incredible slot canyon. Nature created an amazing and colorful corkscrew-shaped slit in the rock.

Lunch:

Afternoon: Travel and return to St. George, Utah.

Dinner: Closing Dinner.

Evening: Enjoy a recap of the scenic beauty you were able to see and experience this week!

Free Time Opportunities

St. George, Utah

General Information**Please note: The amount of free time varies with each program. The free time options noted here may require spending additional time on your own to experience them. Check your program schedule to determine what is possible in the time available.
~~Art Galleries,
~~Golf, Our golf courses have been described as "golfer's paradise," Ten public courses, one semi-private and one private golf club provides an incredible variety of course.
~~Hiking, for more information go to www.stgeorgechamber.com/Outdoor%20Activities/Hiking.htm
~~Historic Sites, there are 27 nearby Historic Sites, restored pioneer buildings and homes for more information go to www.stgeorgechamber.com/historic_downtown.htm
~~Museums
~~Music Performances for more information go to www.stgeorgechamber.com/Culture%20&%20Arts.htm
~~Shopping for more information go to www.shoppingstgeorge.com/historical_downtown.htm
~~Spa for more information go to **Red Mountain Spa! 435-673-4905 www.redmountainspa.com or **Green Valley Spa 435-628-8060 www.greenvalleyspa.com
~~Tennis many nearby tennis courts. Dixie College Road Scholar offers tennis programs at Green Valley Spa Private courts used for the Vic Braden Tennis Academy instruction. May arrange lessons. 800-237-1068 www.vicbraden.com/locagv.html
~~Theater for more information go to www.stgeorgechamber.com/Culture%20&%20Arts.htm or www.sgmt.org or www.tuacahn.org or www.bard.orgFor additional information, visit: www.utahsdixie.com

Grand Canyon North Rim

General Overview of Grand Canyon North Rim**Please note: The Grand Canyon North Rim is open MAY 15 - OCT 15 each year it is closed during the winter months. There is very little free time during this program. The free time options noted here are helpful if you plan to spend additional time on your own.
~Grand Canyon Mule Trips Register in the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge at the Grand Canyon Trail Rides desk; open 7am-5pm daily. For reservations call Grand Canyon Trail Rides, (435) 679-8665, or www.canyonrides.com/pkgrandcanyon.html. North Rim mule trips are offered from mid May to mid October only.
~Ranger Lectures National Park Service rangers offer a wide variety of interpretive programs seasonally on the North Rim. All ranger programs are free and open to the public. The location and subject varies, check at the North Rim Visitor Center upon arrival or www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/north-rim
~Hikes or walks check at the North Rim Visitor Center upon arrival or www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/north-rimFor additional information, visit: www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/north-rim

Zion National Park

General Information about Zion National ParkThe below web site offers a good resource for information.
www.nps.gov/zion This is the National Parks website and is a good source for information.
~~~Bicycle Zion --- The free Zion National Park shuttle buses are equipped with bike racks for those wishing to ride only part of the way. Bicycles are permitted only on established roads and the Pa’rus Trail. Bikes can be rented at Springdale Cycles 932 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, UT 84767, (435) 772-0575, Fax (435) 772-0576, E-mail: info@springdalecycles.com www.springdalecycles.com
~~~Galleries Many interesting and unique galleries are in Springdale. This website will provide more information. www.zionpark.com/Galleries.htm
~~~Horseback Riding for more information visit their website www.olwm.com/canyonrides
~~~Shuttle Buses in Zion National Park for more information www.nps.gov/zion/ShuttleSystem.htm
~~~Trails in Zion National Park for more information visit www.nps.gov/zion/MakingTheMostOfYourTime.htm
~~~Zion Canyon IMAX for more information visit the website www.zioncanyontheatre.com
For additional information, visit: www.zionpark.com/index.htm

Bryce Canyon National Park

General Overview of Bryce Canyon National Park free time options**PLEASE NOTE: There is very little free time during this program. The free time options noted here are helpful if you plan to spend additional time before or after the program. Helpful website = www.brycecanyoncountry.com more sites noted below.
~ATV Riding - Call 1-800-444-6689 o (435) 676-1160 o Fax: (435) 676-8239. Or contact the National Forest service for trails at (435) 676-9300. Also call Ruby's Inn 1-866-866-6616 for info and reservations.
~Hikes / Walks When you arrive, the Bryce Park guide has a complete list, description and map of the trails. You can utilize the Bryce Shuttle Red Line May 15-Sept 30 to get to and from the trails. The Bryce Canyon National Park Website is www.nps.gov/brca and has trail details.
~Horseback Riding contact Ruby's Inn 1-866-866-6616 for info and reservations or call Canyon Trail Rides, Tropic, UT 84776, 435/679-8665 or 435/834-5500 or visit their web site at www.canyonrides.com
~Mountain Biking In Bryce Canyon Country
Call for details 1-800-444-6689 o (435) 676-1160 o Fax: (435) 676-8239 or www.brycecanyoncountry.com
~Visitor Center and Ranger Programs The times, locations and subjects for lectures are posted at the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center. www.nps.gov/brca
~Rodeo For Country Rodeo tickets call: Toll Free - (866) 782-0002 or (435) 834-5341Rodeo Dates End of May to Mid September, 6 nights a week, Monday through Saturday, 7:00 pm (MST) $7 Adults $4 Kids (Includes Tax) (subject to change) www.rubysinn.com
~Scenic flights Flying from Ruby's Inn Heliport since 1977
All flights are narrated and offer breathtaking photography. No wasted flight time. Helicopter / Airplane - Scenic / Charter flights available, F.A.A. certified air carrier. All Flights require a 2 fare Minimum. (435) 834-5341 ask for flight desk or www.rubysinn.com
~Shuttle runs from May 15 - September 30, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily. The national park website has details www.nps.gov/brca.For additional information, visit: www.nps.gov/brca

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Need Help?

The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!